


A Hoard of Birthdays

by actualpidgey, bittersweetangstlord, CirqueBordello (CircusTalia)



Series: Dragon Hoard AU [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Daddy Shiro, Dragon Hoard AU, Dragon Shiro (Voltron), Dragons, F/F, F/M, Fantasy AU, Household Play, M/M, mama allura
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2019-10-08 11:50:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17385953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualpidgey/pseuds/actualpidgey, https://archiveofourown.org/users/bittersweetangstlord/pseuds/bittersweetangstlord, https://archiveofourown.org/users/CircusTalia/pseuds/CirqueBordello
Summary: Mini stories centering on the birthdays of Shiro's hoard.





	1. Hunk

Lance agreed to be the one to accompany Hunk to his family home to have an early birthday dinner and sleepover. The hoard helped them load up the carriage and horses. Hunk insisted that they would only need a couple of horses for themselves, believing the carriage might have been excessive.

“Hunk, you are celebrating your birthday. You are bound to receive gifts from your family on such a special occasion,” Shiro wrapped a scarf around Hunk’s neck. “But if for some reason you do not receive anything from them,” Shiro opened Hunk’s hand and dropped a bag of money on his palm. “Treat yourself to whatever your heart desires.”

Hunk looked down at the bag, tucking it in his pocket before hugging Shiro.

“Thanks, Daddy.”

“Anything for my favorite bear,” Shiro used his wings to envelop the man.

“Hey, we need to start leaving if we don’t want to get stuck on any icy roads!” Lance called out from the driver’s seat of the carriage.

Hunk let go of Shiro and gave goodbye hugs and kisses to Allura, Pidge and Keith. He climbed next to Lance and the two left the cave. The hoard waved goodbye to them, and when they were gone they addressed one another as they walked back inside.

 

“Okay, what time will the catering be completed tomorrow?” Keith asked.

“The restaurant said it would be finished by eleven in the morning,” Allura took out a piece of paper full orders and notes. “I reminded Lance not to rush back home so that we may have time to set everything up.”

“I’m a little worried about Hunk being full from his family’s dinner,” Pidge said. “He’s mentioned how much he loves his mother’s cooking and I wouldn’t doubt her cooking is much better than that of his favorite restaurant.”

“Lance told them what we were planning. At worst, Hunk will return with leftovers, which we can easily store away,” Shiro explained, closing the entrance to the cave behind him. “Although I doubt it will be too much as I heard his niece and nephew would be coming to see him and I have no doubt that at least some food would therefore be given to his sister and her family.”

“Wouldn’t it have been more romantic for us to have made him his food?” Keith asked.

“Probably,” Pidge picked up her wrapped gift to Hunk that was sitting next to the TV. “But none of our cooking standards are up to Hunk’s. Least of all Daddy’s.”

“Doll,” Shiro narrowed his gaze at her.

“What? It’s true,” Pidge set the gift down at a small table they designated to be for the present corner.

“You did burn the cereal, dear,” Allura arranged the presents to in an orderly fashion.

Shiro huffed as he opened up the fireplace and breathed fire into it. The cave became warmer, making the dragon and humans remove some of their winter garments. They scattered across the cave, carrying cleaning supplies and performed their respective chores to make the cave presentable for Hunk’s birthday. They had been planning on throwing him a surprise feast and hoped that the leftovers would last a week so as to give their poor bear a rest from cooking for a little while.

 

Planning such a surprise wasn’t easy for the group. Hunk’s favorite restaurant had a particular system when it came to catering and they had to get around calling them when Hunk wouldn’t notice. And then there had been the matter of planning in collaboration with Hunk’s family. Hunk’s mother had wanted to cook something special for her son as she had always done on his birthday, and so they came to an agreement that as long as Hunk spent the night with his family, she would be careful about the quantity she made and try to cook less-filling foods save for the cake.

When deciding on who should go with Hunk, Pidge fought to be the one that went. But after much thought, she relented and vouched for Lance to go as he knew Hunk’s family longer than her. Lance was grateful and kissed her in gratitude, promising her that she could latch on to him the moment they came back.

Getting and hiding his presents was the easiest part. As they already took turns going with Shiro on his journeys, it was easy to get around and not arouse suspicion as to what they were up to.

Shiro saw to it that his loves went to bed early as they would need an early rise to finish the remaining preparations. They huddled close in the nest, Shiro going into his full dragon form to radiate heat to his little ones. Keith was closer to his chest while Allura held Pidge under her arms.

“I hope he likes my gift,” Pidge said.

“Oh, please,” Keith yawned. “You and Hunk share the same mind. You probably have the best one out of all of us.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Allura pulled the covers over them. “We need to sleep now. For bear.”

“Yes, Mama,” Keith and Pidge answered simultaneously.

Shiro pushed the three closer to him with his head and then they slept.

  


The next day was one of the most important days of the year. Shiro and Keith woke up earlier than the girls as they were in charge of picking up the catering and any last minute supplies for the feast. Keith fasted a special saddle on Shiro’s back, one that was suited for carrying various heavy items, especially pots and pans. They made sure to bring Allura’s royal seal as proof that they could carry take those items with them to their abode, with the promise that all items be returned by a specific date and time and that they be washed. Allura and Pidge would do a quick clean up of the dining area and living room as well as set up the tables. When Keith and Shiro returned, they laid the food out accordingly, placing little plates and utensils at an end.

The hoard got dressed, putting on special outfits for the occasion. Their attire was that of waiters, each wearing a white, button-up shirt and black pants and shoes. They wore color-coordinated bow ties: Shiro wearing black, Keith with red, Pidge with green, and Allura with pink. Allura combed their hair, her hair tied up in a bun, Keith’s in a small ponytail, and Pidge with pigtails. They wrapped aprons around their waists to complete the look.

They looked at the time and waited in anticipation for Hunk and Lance’s return. When they heard the entrance to the cave open, they lined up.

“Back still hurt?” Hunk asked Lance.

Lance rubbed his back.

“Yeah, but I’m getting better. But seriously, I still think Shiro should have come along, too. He would have been a better piggyback giver than me.”

“I told you I could have done it.”

“Nu-uh. You’re the birthday boy, which means you get to kick back.”

Hunk pulled Lance close and kissed him on the cheek.

“You know, it’s a little too quiet. Do you think the others are-”

“SURPRISE!” The hoard screamed, raising their arms in the air.

Hunk gasped. Lance stood between him and the rest of the group. Then he joined them to say “Happy Birthday, Hunk!”

“You guys,” Hunk smiled, clasping his hands together.

“You better have room in your stomach because we have a lot for you to indulge yourself in,” Pidge ran up to him, hugging him.

Hunk looked down at her. She always looked so cute with her hair in pigtails. He hugged her and promised to give everyone a big hug.

“You can hug us after you finish your meal,” Allura said. “For now, why don’t you take a seat and allow us to serve you.”

 

Pidge pulled him along and sat him down at the table. The mix of aromas was wonderful to Hunk’s nose. And his smile grew even wider as plates of his favorite foods was set before him. Meats and veggies all blended perfectly with rices and potatoes in all sorts of forms as a wonderful complement. Once he was served, everyone got to filling their own plates and eating alongside him.

Hunk and Lance recounted their time with his family. How happy Hunk’s parents were to see him and how excited his niece and nephew were to present their gifts to him.

The mention of gifts made Pidge excited to present theirs to him.

“Doll, you know we’re waiting until after we’ve eaten,” Keith reminded her before taking a sip from his cup.

Pidge pouted, but got a head rub from Hunk.

“If it helps, I’ll open yours first.”

Pidge beamed and continued eating happily.

 

After they finished their meal and helped themselves to cake, they handed their individual gifts to Hunk. As promised, Hunk opened Pidge’s gift to him. And Hunk was ecstatic when he unwrapped the gift. She got him a build-it kit for a model castle. It had all the parts and pieces while also providing tools to allow the builder to design and configure the model as they would like it. Next was Lance’s, who gave him a fancy tunic and a copy of one of their favorite action movies. Allura got him a new suit and coat for winter. Shiro gave him a personalized recipe book where Hunk can jot down all of his favorite recipes. And Keith gave him a personalized knife with his name on it, one that he crafted himself. Keith was the first to receive a Hunk hug and kiss. Keith nuzzled into him as everyone joined in for one big group hug.

Lance and Shiro took care of the cleaning with Keith putting the leftover food in containers as everyone else rested on the couch, eating more birthday cake and watching the movie Hunk received. Once everyone was in the living room, Hunk could conclude that this had been one of his best birthdays by far.


	2. Shiro

February was the shortest month of the year, but also the busiest one. The members of the hoard had taken on more jobs to earn their allowances to save up for gifts to give one another for Valentine’s Day and to pitch in for Shiro’s birthday. 

Allura and Keith were in charge of coordinating Shiro’s birthday festivities, seeing to it that no single person overworked themselves to exhaustion and that they collaborated on gift ideas. The humans thanked the stars that Shiro took long trips when he flew in the skies. As he disappeared into the clouds, Hunk, Lance and Pidge asked eagerly to take the horses into town to find the perfect gift for him. 

“Please!” they begged, clasping their hands together.

Allura and Keith shared a look.

“Very well,” Allura reached into her pocket to pull out three bags of money. “You’ve all worked so hard this month, even doing work after Valentine’s day.”

Pidge and Lance reached their hands out, smiles wide on their faces. Allura retracted the bags.

“But you must promise to call the cave when you arrive. There’s been a large abundance of snow lately and I want to at least know you are somewhere warm.”

Lance smirked, spreading his arms. 

“Mama, winter is my element,” he pointed a thumb at himself. “If anyone can navigate through the snow, it’s me.”

Allura clutched the money bags and crossed her arms. Pidge and Hunk stared at Lance in annoyance, Pidge sniffing the cold air.

Lance put his hands down.

“Yes, Mama. We’ll call.”

Allura smiled, reaching for his hand and placing the bags in his palm. She got on her tiptoes to leave a kiss on his cheek.

“Be safe. If the conditions permit it, be back before it gets dark.”

The three affirmed before getting on board the horses, Lance and Pidge on one with Hunk riding another. When they trotted off, Keith got to work on his gift to Shiro whilst Allura made a call to her castle. They had no expectation of Shiro returning before the trio, but if he did, the cover-up would be that they entered town to search for any sales on a video game system. 

 

As far as Shiro was concerned, his birthday treat would be a trip to the hot springs by the mountains where the Fangs of Marmora reside and an intimate evening with his lovers. If anything else, perhaps Hunk would bake him a cake. It wasn’t that his beloveds never showered him with love, rather it was that they only needed to spend time with him to make him happy. Of course, the hoard found Shiro’s birthday to be an extraordinary occasion, for it was he who brought them all together. They would go above and beyond for their dragon who had given them so much more than they could ask for. But they would also tease him about being much younger as he was born on February 29th. 

They packed their things inside the carriage on the 27th and travelled to the mountains on a horse-drawn carriage. Everyone’s gifts were assembled as Hunk carefully carried the cake. He made enough for the hoard and the Marmora dragons that hosted their stay. The snowfall wasn’t so bad, making the journey smooth. When they arrived, Kolivan greeted them and congratulated Shiro on another year. 

“We are honored to host you and your lovers amidst your stay here,” Kolivan extended his clawed hand forward. He hesitated to use the word “hoard” as hoards are generally looked down upon in the Marmora. And normally they wouldn’t allow dragons with human hoards to use their mountains as a resort. But Shiro was an exception for the Marmora knew that unlike some dragons that kept humans, his humans came to him willingly. He was strong, but he wasn’t a brute or a bully. Whatever they did as a polyamorous group was with consent. 

“You’re too kind, Kolivan,” Shiro shook the other dragon’s hand. When he let go, Lance grabbed a hold of his arm.

“C’mon! I wanna see the hot springs!”

Kolivan gave a soft smile.

“The hot springs are just down this path. The room you will be staying in has a personal hot springs behind it if you find it more convenient to stay close. Of course, the ones that way are a much larger size and more accommodating for us in our true forms. There is a dining room down the hall from your room where suppers will be held at 6 in the evening everyday. Breakfast and lunch will be of your choosing, but the kitchen is free to use.”

“Oh, cool,” Hunk smiled.

Kolivan spotted the cake he carried.

“Oh, allow us to help you with that.” 

Another Marmora dragon came to take the cake off Hunk’s hands. Hunk followed them to make sure it was put away perfectly. Kolivan wrapped up everything and the hoard carried their belongings and Shiro’s gifts to his room.

 

They enjoyed a small meal together first and then asked Shiro if there was anything in particular he would like to do the next day. 

“Staying in the springs all day would be wonderful, but I’d like to take time to fly through the mountain air.”

“Just don’t forget to open our presents,” Keith sipped a cup of tea. “We want to see your face when you open them.”

“I wouldn’t dream of opening them without all of you, Kitten,” he rubbed the top of his head.   
  


The next morning, the hoard woke up early to fix Shiro’s breakfast and Lance and Hunk pounced on Shiro to wake him up.

“Happy Birthday, Daddy!” they called out to him.

“Aw, my little ones,” Shiro cooed as he got up from bed. 

He was led into the dining room where his breakfast was set up as was a table full of presents.

“Open, open!” Hunk, Lance and Pidge bounced.

“You three, you know we’re supposed to wait until the evening,” Allura scolded. “The Marmora are taking part in the celebration as well. It isn’t right for them to miss out on him opening your wonderful presents.”

They pouted until Shiro brought the three close to him.

“Tell you what: as soon as we have breakfast, I’ll let you ride on my back and then we can relax in the hot springs. How does that sound?”

They nodded and enjoyed breakfast together. 

As promised, Shiro shifted into his full form and carried his hoard through the skies. The mountain air was cool and chilly, but also very exhilarating. He flew around the mountains and above them, his adrenaline rushing as he flew past each peak. Other dragons were out for a fly and they flew in synchronization. He was careful not to do too many loops as he knew how queasy his bear could be, but he closed his eyes as he let the fresh air beat against his face and scales. 

When he was done, he made a landing for the hot springs. Steam rose from the waters as the smell of flowers hit their faces.

“We mix the water with incense,” a Marmora dragon explained. “There’s a changing station that way,” he tilted his head in the direction of a changing area. “Towels and robes are waiting for you there.”

The humans of the hoard entered the changing station as Shiro dipped his large, scaly body in the water. Allura and Pidge had towels wrapped around their bodies as the boys had towels around their waists. They went in the springs where Shiro kept his head above the water, smoke coming out of his nostrils. Keith had his back against the rocks, which felt oddly comfortable, with Lance splashing his face with the water. Hunk dived into the water as Pidge just played with it. Allura put herself against Shiro, washing his scales and horns. The others would swim around Shiro shortly after, and he’d heat up the water as necessary. 

 

When they were done, Shiro warmed them up and they headed back to their room where they took a short nap. They were awoken by a wake-up knock from one of the Marmora, informing them that supper would be ready shortly. Shiro had shrunk down to his half-form by then, leading the way to the dining room. 

The Marmora dragons were gathered in their half-forms, too, and gave a toast to Shiro. They sang “Happy Birthday” to him as the cake was brought out. They also watched as he unwrapped the gifts his little ones gave him. 

From Keith, an iron clad statue formed in his likeness. The statue resembled his full dragon form with jeweled eyes. 

“Oh, Keith,” Shiro looked in awe at the statue, placing a clawed hand over the scales which matched the pattern of his own. 

“How we see you,” Keith said, earning him a tender kiss from the dragon.

Next was Lance’s gift, which was a golden headpiece made specifically for dragons. The piece goes on the horns of the dragons and its size shifts with the dragon’s. Lance blushed as Shiro turned the jewelry over. 

“I hope it’s to your liking.”

Shiro laughed. “Of course it is.” He had Lance put the piece on and everyone was in awe at how regal Shiro appeared.

Hunk had given his dragon lover a set of candles and incense with Shiro’s favorite scents (although some would consider the cake an additional gift as he baked it himself). Pidge presented him with a collection of poems from his favorite author and sheaths with intricate designs for his swords. Allura’s gift to Shiro was a portrait she commissioned from one of the most high-esteemed artists in the kingdom. The portrait showed the six lovers in fanciful clothes, all lined up and with joyous expressions on their faces. They were all close to one another and shared intimate touches. Shiro was in his half form, his wings extended behind him, as he took up the center of the piece.

All of these gifts put a smile on Shiro’s face. He gave each of his lovers a kiss and when he finished opening their presents, enveloped them all in a hug with his strong arms and wings. A few Marmora dragons had also offered him gifts (despite the trip being more than enough from them) and the festivities continued into the night. 

 

When it was time for bed, Shiro wanted to take a dip in the springs outside their room. His humans gave him some space as they got ready to sleep. 

“Don’t stay in the water too long, baby boy,” Lance said teasingly with the others laughing.

Shiro flicked his forehead and headed into the water, sliding the door behind him. 

He closed his eyes and couldn’t dream of a better birthday. At least, not one without his hoard.


	3. Pidge

“Here we are,” an older woman with similar features as Pidge opened the door to a vacant room that had a single bed with a bookshelf and a couple of posters on the wall. “I know this isn’t much, but this is the second biggest room in the house.”

“Wow, Mom,” Pidge stepped in. “You didn’t throw away the stuff I left behind.”

“Katie, I would never,” she feigned offence. “I know how much your belongings mean to you. Besides, I need to show you that your room’s size is no excuse for not maintaining a clean room. And I expect this room to be clean before you leave again, young lady.”

Pidge grumbled as Lance and Keith carried their belongings into the room. 

“We are honored to be guests in your residence, Madame Holt.”

Pidge’s mom chuckled. “Oh, not at all, your highness. And please, call me Colleen.”

“Shiro, could you help me with these logs?!” an older male voice echoed in the house. 

Shiro placed his suitcase against the wall in the room. 

“Excuse me.” He made a slight bow before heading back to the main area. 

“Dinner should be ready in a few hours. Get yourselves settled. The bed can only hold up to three at a time, so keep that in mind when figuring out your sleeping arrangements.”

“Yes, Mom.”

Colleen left them to their devices and went to see how her husband and Shiro were doing. The family dog, Bae Bae, who had been sitting in the hallway, followed after her. Pidge smiled as she looked up at one of her posters which showed a constellation forming an axe. Allura placed a hand over her shoulder.

“You’ve missed being here, haven’t you?”

Pidge put a hand on top of hers. “Yeah…”

They nuzzled their heads together, Allura commenting on how cute Pidge was. It wasn’t that Pidge never visited home, but she never realized how homesick she really was until she came back. 

  
  


When Pidge was asked what she wanted to do for her birthday, she expressed that she’d like to see her parents and brother again. Everyone thought it was a nice idea, and they were set on making plans for her to travel to see them and then have a celebration with the hoard. But Pidge added that she actually wanted all of them to visit her home. She didn’t want to split her birthday between two parties. She wanted all of the people she loved the most to be in one place. Her parents already told her prior that hoard visits were welcomed. 

When she said her request, she blushed and hid herself, saying that they didn’t have to go if they thought it would be too cramped. Lance was the one to pull her in for a hug.

“Of course we’d love to go, Doll.”

“As long as your family is okay with hosting this many of us, I don’t see a problem,” Shiro added. 

Pidge smiled as everyone agreed and thus they begun planning for her birthday. If Pidge were being honest, just having them all together would have been enough to make it a wonderful birthday. Of course, she wasn’t going to reject the notion of listing off the activities she’d like to do.

All Pidge really wanted was to play games with her loved ones. More specifically, Monsters and Mana. The good news was that it was a game that all of them liked and knew how to play. The bad news was that it would be too many players at the table to include everyone. Matt decided to play the role of Lore Master while Sam and Colleen would switch places every so often to keep things interesting. So a day of Monsters and Mana with pizza was the ideal birthday celebration for Pidge. And if they finished the campaign early, then she’d be given the living room to play video games with Matt, Hunk, Lance and Shiro with Keith and Allura watching. 

Keith asked if her parents would really be okay with this arrangement and feared if they would be too loud. Pidge assured him that as long as they pick up after themselves, they would be fine. Plus, Sam had made the master bedroom soundproof a long time ago, setting up an elaborate alarm system if anything bad were to happen in the house. 

  
  


After getting their things settled, Matt informed them that dinner was ready. Dinner was a simple array of sandwiches and chips. There wasn’t too much room in the normal table, thus an extra table and chairs had to be taken out to accommodate everyone. It was a bit cramped, but everyone settled in just fine. Matt and Colleen proceeded to embarrass Pidge by recounting stories of her youth to the hoard and then Lance and Hunk would further embarrass her with their recollection of silly things she had done in the cave. Pidge continuously defended herself, but everyone was laughing and having a good time. Shiro asked Sam about his work and listened intently as the older man went into detail about his job as an astronomer and inventor. Allura was more interested in listening to stories about Pidge but also took an interest to Colleen’s work as a botanist and her garden. These visits were also good for Hunk and Matt as they both could have someone else to gush about their common interests (and wouldn’t need a translation) that wasn’t solely Pidge. Keith and Lance made small talk with one another as Pidge joined in as much of the conversations as she could.

As it was getting late, Sam and Colleen headed to bed. They didn’t enforce a curfew, but Colleen did threaten that if they weren’t up by noon the next day, the Monsters and Mana campaign would be a no go. Pidge argued that it was her birthday, but Allura reminded her that she always slept in anyway.

The sleeping arrangements were the most difficult to figure out. Pidge would obviously be on the bed, but she had to pick only two of her lovers to sleep with that night. When asked who she preferred, Pidge couldn’t decide. They settled on drawing straws. The two who had the longest ones got to sleep on the bed. Allura and Lance won. They laid on opposite sides of her as Hunk, Keith and Shiro got settled on the floor. Pidge stretched her arm across Lance’s body to hold Shiro’s hand and he gave her a kiss on the back of it. Keith and Hunk followed suit and soon they all fell asleep.   
  


Unsurprisingly, Pidge was the last person in the house to wake up. Allura shook her a bit at eleven, whispering in her ear a Happy Birthday and telling her that breakfast was ready for them downstairs. Pidge rubbed her eyes and got dressed, with Hunk presenting a pancake trying to not have it fall over as Bae Bae kept jumping on him to get the plate, with a smiling face on it to her. They all wished her a Happy Birthday as Matt and Shiro set the table for them to get the game started. 

Matt was in charge of keeping the party moving forward on their quests with Sam or Colleen adding flair to it. When Sam took the reigns as Lore Master, it was clear he gave Pidge’s character preferential treatment and made sure nothing bad happened to her dwarf character. Colleen on the other hand put up more of a challenge when presenting trials to her daughter. The session lasted six hours with the hoard being triumphant in their ultimate quest. After the session, they couldn’t stop talking about the events the occurred, the betrayals that were made, the emotional tension that came with every battle. The pizzas had already been delivered by the time the campaign ended and thus they closed up Monsters and Mana in favor of food. 

Bae Bae clawed at the back door and Pidge knew what she needed.

“I’m gonna take Bae Bae out for a bit,” she informed them as she opened the door and followed her.

Bae Bae ran all over the yard before finding a spot (that was far from the garden) to do her business. Pidge chuckled at the silliness of her dog as she looked up at the starry sky. She spotted a telescope leaned against the shed and picked it up. It was rusted, being more brown and copper than gold and black. She held it over her eye and looked off at the distance. She stared at Bae Bae, who was looking at her and barked. Pidge laughed and aimed the telescope at the house, where she saw Hunk and Lance coming out. She waved her arm.

“Ahoy, mateys!”

“‘Hoy, Captain,” Lance waved two fingers. 

Pidge set the telescope down and presented it to them. Hunk picked it up and turned it over.

“Wow, I didn’t think this was still here.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot I’m surprised is still here.”

They looked at the stars together, Hunk and Lance putting their arms around her.

“You know, it seems like every year I have a higher attendance to my birthday celebrations. When I was just a kid, it was just my family and I. And then I met you two and that made things more fun. And now, not only do I get you two as my lovers, but we have Allura, Keith and Shiro to add to that. I didn’t think I’d have so many people to celebrate with.” She put her arms on their backs.

“Aww, Doll. Look at you, getting all sappy with us,” Lance put his head on top of hers.

“Of course there would be so many people to love you,” Hunk leaned down to kiss the side of her head. “And you know we’ll always love you.”

They embraced, only to break up when Matt called for them to come back in to cut the cake. Pidge picked up Bae Bae and Lance and Hunk followed behind her. After they sang and ate cake, Pidge played video games with Matt, Lance, Hunk and Shiro as Keith and Allura helped clean up. Sam gave them tips on how to beat certain levels before Colleen interrupted the game to hand Pidge the family’s gift to her. Pidge thanked them and Sam and Colleen headed upstairs to leave the younger people alone. 

The hoard remained in the Holt family home until the following morning. They said their goodbyes and went back to the cave, where they showed Pidge their gifts to her. All in all, Pidge’s birthday wouldn’t have been good if she wasn’t surrounded by the people she loved.


	4. Allura

Being a princess had it's quirks, especially when in a loving poly relationship with four other humans and a dragon. It allowed you to spoil your lovers and offer extra protection if anyone felt unsafe travelling alone. But part of being a princess meant that it was expected you have an extravagant birthday celebration.

 

Allura had been summoned by her father to stay at the castle for the month leading up to her birthday. She was to have a ball thrown in her honor with many guests from far and wide in attendance. As a princess, such events were expected. But as a woman, she just wanted to be with her hoard. 

She was able to arrange to have her lovers accompany her to the castle. The king gave them permission to sleep in the same room as her, knowing the status of their relationship. Lance was concerned if there would be enough space for all of them, but upon being taken to her quarters, all but Shiro were amazed. 

Allura's old room was massive, even moreso than their shared bedroom in the cave. The bed was grand enough to hold all six of them, even with Shiro in his full dragon form. And Shiro did just that as he shifted and stretched his limbs. Allura informs the hoard that they are free to walk around the castle grounds as they please, though reminds them to be mindful of any meetings that might be held. She has to leave to accompany her father for the birthday ball preparations. 

As she leaves, she hides a sad frown from them. She knows how hectic it can be to prepare for these events. How busy she'll be. And she understands the reason her father involves her so much in these preparations as he wants her to have a say, but she'd be happy if there were some things out of her control. She stands next to her father as they are presented with fabrics and colors to be used for the ball. 

They sat on their thrones as they listened to various bands audition to perform in the palace. Allura rests her chin atop her palm, not caring much for the music as her mind wanders off to what her lovers are doing. After the tenth audition, she turned to the king.

"Father, I'd be happy with any of these bands performing at my ball. Can't one be selected out of a hat and I go spend time with my hoard?"  
  
"Now, Allura, you know we can't do that," Alfor told her. "To be a fair ruler means giving everyone a chance." He looked through a scroll to see the list of entertainers yet to audition. "I promise once this is over, you'll be free to do as you wish. Just because you agreed to be in an intimate relationship with a dragon does not mean we must ignore our ties to other kingdoms."  
  
Allura sighed. Her father was right. As a princess, she needed to maintain good relations. While Shiro was strong enough to defend the kingdom, the less enemies they had the better it would be for everyone. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Lance running away from Keith as the dark haired man chased him, with Hunk following close behind. How she wanted to jump from her throne and join them. Or scold them. It didn't matter. They were so close and yet so far.

 

That feeling persisted throughout the month. While she saw them at mealtimes and bedtime, she could barely spend quality time together with them. The only times she was close to one of them was when Shiro accompanied her for a reminder lesson on who was attending and what their current relations with that guest was. They couldn't even hold hands as it was a professional setting. 

As she walked through the halls to attend another meeting, an old and familiar voice spoke out.

"My Princess, how you've grown."

Allura turned around, a smile forming as she saw an older gentleman with outrageous orange hair and mustache who wore refined clothing.

"Coran!" She ran up to him and the two hugged. "How I've missed you."  
  
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Coran brushed her hair. "Forgive me for not calling. I have been sent on expedition after expedition."  
  
"Oh, Coran. There is nothing to forgive," she let go of him. "I too am at fault for not calling as much either. I've just...," she took a look out the window to see Shiro flying in the skies with Pidge and Lance on his back. 

Coran knew what she was thinking.

"Princess, you need not worry. Remember that little game we'd play when you were caught up in your duties?"  
  
Allura clasped her hands together. "The countdown game?"  
  
Coran nodded.  
  
"Yes. And how close you'd be to getting a special treat. The more time that passes, the closer you'll get what you want."  
  
She smiled. "That's right."  
  
"Although, I believe you will need to be with your hoard during the planning."  
  
"Why is that?"   
  
Coran took out a roll of measuring tape.

"Well, all of you will need the right attire for the ball if I'm not mistaken. We'll start tomorrow afternoon."

"Coran, thank you!" Allura hugged him again. 

"Now, now, princess. You have other business to attend to," he patted her back. "All of us are still here. We won't be going anywhere."

Allura nodded and walked off. She felt much better after speaking with Coran and had something to look forward to in the planning.

 

 

The hoard had their measurements taken and a designer was there to help them choose what to wear. It was practically unanimous that they wear something with plenty of room and that they could move around in. As for individual preferences, Shiro wanted something suitable for his tail and wings while Lance wanted to be as extravagant as Allura. Allura chuckled.

"All of you will be equally extravagant, my Jewel," she cupped his hand. "I'd never dream of outshining any of you."

"That's good, because I know Jewel would want to outshine all of us."

"Hey, that is not true!" Lance pouted. "I'd only want to outshine you on most occasions."

"And then we'd have to hide you away because you'd be taken from us," Shiro rested his arm against Lance. 

Allura was selecting style of dress she'd like to wear as she listened to the others. At least they were trying to enjoy this. She was taken aback when Hunk moved in front of her and showed her a sketch from one of the designers.

"I think this would look great on you."

Allura picked it up from his hands and her eyes gleamed. It really did look beautiful. It revealed her shoulders, but wasn't too provocative for the occasion. The sleeves were long and the skirt of the dress was wide. It had an intricate design to include stars, which would have most likely been formed from glitter. 

"Oh, Bear, you're right," she covered her mouth. "It is beautiful."

Hunk smiled and they spoke with the designer about having the dress made. Everyone else put their input on their outfits and the tailors would get to work on them immediately. Allura had to leave her hoard again, but she managed to give them each a kiss goodbye.

 

 

The night of the ball couldn't have arrived sooner. The ballroom was filled with royals and nobles far and wide. King Alfor introduced his daughter and her hoard to all those in attendance. The men of her hoard wore extravagant suits as Pidge wore a refined, violet dress. Allura thanked everyone for attending and officially commenced the ball. As Allura was ready to mingle with her hoard, she was pulled away by a pair of princes who wanted to chat with her. She gave an apologetic look to her hoard, urging them to enjoy the festivities whilst she entertained the guests.

She kept up a happy appearance, though her heart ached. She waited this whole time and for what? To be brisked away again. She went from the princes' to a princess and it was an assembly line of keeping up with the guests. She searched for Daddy and her little ones, but they were nowhere to be seen. She hoped they hadn't been frightened off or thought that she didn't want to spend her birthday with them.

Then the dance began. Allura only needed to take part in the first dance. After that, she could hide away in the corner as everyone else enjoyed her party. As she took the first step forward, she was surprised to see Keith in front of her, his hair combed back into a ponytail. He held his hand out to her.

"May I have this dance?"

Allura grinned as she presented her hand.

"You may."

Keith pulled her close and the two danced across the floor. Hand on his waist, he pressed his forehead against hers. 

"Mama, you dance beautifully," Keith whispered.

"And you have a lot to learn, Kitten," Allura was twirled around. However, Keith let go and she twirled away from him, only to be caught by Hunk.

"I thought I'd never see you again tonight," Hunk held Allura's hand gently.

"I don't know what I'd do if I didn't," Allura rubbed a thumb over his finger.

He danced gently with her, even as he picked her up. When he brought her down, he put her in front of Pidge, who put her hands on her shoulders.

"I'm not very good at dancing," Pidge blushed as she moved her down lower on Allura's torso.

"My Doll, I fell for you for being yourself." She kissed the top of Pidge's forehead and the ladies swayed back and forth.

Lance tried to grab them both, but Pidge dodged him and he had only Allura in his embrace.

"And I was so close, too," Lance complained.

"A dance such as this is only meant for two," Allura reminded him. 

"Well, you've had more than one partner so far, have you not?"

She chuckled. 

"Oh you." 

As he took the next step to the side, he released her and she was now in a dance with Shiro. His horns adorned in golden jewelry as his wings were tucked behind him.

"I've waited all night for this."

Allura pressed her head against his chest.

"I've waited all month for a moment like this."

Shiro patted the backside of her head, whispering sweet words of love to her. 

He pulled back from her to reveal the rest of the hoard in front of her, smiling at her. When the music stopped, they simultaneously wished her a happy birthday. The other guests cheered as Allura tried to contain the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She brought them in for a group hug, glad to have finally had her moment with them.

 

It was a difficult month to get through but the payoff was worth it when she was surrounded by the hoard she had chosen. As long as they were there, her birthday was a day she could look forward to with joy in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some info, Allura's birthday in this AU falls on June 10th in honor of the day VLD premiered :D


	5. Lance

A section of the castle had been reserved for this special occasion. It wasn't as large as the main ballroom, but still spacious and fancy looking with a chandelier that hung from the ceiling and an indoor water fountain. The event was in the evening, which meant leaving the doors open wasn't a hassle and people could enjoy the garden and pond. The members of the hoard wore nice, formal clothing, though they didn't stand out very much (minus Shiro, but you can't exactly conceal horns, wings, and a tail). 

"How long until he gets here?" Keith asked with arms crossed.

"He'll be here soon," Shiro picked up a glass of champagne. "We just have to be patient."

"Knowing Lance, he'll probably be ready by the time the party's over," Pidge pouted.

"Should one of us check on him?" Hunk asked.

Allura shook her head. "I know he'll arrive. Just give him a few more minutes to look his absolute best."

 

Lance had looked at himself in front of the mirror as he wore an extravagant sea-colored suit. He picked up the crown beside him, which was adorned with jewels and pearls and placed it over his head. Lance blushed at how he looked. 

He was worried that asking for another ball would have been too much. He had always admired balls and Allura's birthday one was so extravagant and magnificent. He wanted that for himself and for the attention to be on him. Of course his hoard was more than okay with it. They did everything they could to plan it out and Allura reserved a special part of the castle to host the occasion. Lance was ecstatic, even moreso when he was allowed to invite his entire family.

Lance and the hoard arrived a week before the ball and it was all he could talk about. His lovers humored him and made sure he approved of their fashion choices. Keith and Allura were the most difficult for two opposing reasons: Keith's fashion choice wasn't to Lance's liking and Allura's clothing made her look far more extravagant than him. Still, choices were made and it was finally time for him to make  his grand appearance.

 

A servant blew on a trumpet.

"Announcing: Lord Lance!"

The lights were dimmed, save for the spotlight that made its way to show Lance.

Lance grinned, showing off his white teeth.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming to my party," he blew a kiss to the party goers. "Now that I'm here, we can officially get started!"

Everyone cheered and the lights were turned back on. Lance walked down the room where he greeted his family, all of whom were happy to see him. He hugged his niece and nephew before kissing his mom on the cheek and hugging his dad. 

His siblings wished him a Happy Birthday while also commenting on his over the top entrance.

"Not my fault I'm just that amazing."

"We'll let you think that for today," his older sister, Veronica said. "If you'll excuse me, I want to get some punch." She patted Lance on the shoulder before heading off to the buffet table. 

Lance smiled as he continued to speak with his family until his lovers approached them.

 

"Lance!" Hunk waved.

"Oh, hey," Marco waved to him in return. "Long time no see, Hunk."

"Yeah, it's been way too long," Rachel whined.

Hunk chuckled.

"Yeah, well, I've just been busy and stuff."

"Busy kissing Uncle Lance?" Lance's niece mockingly puckered her lips as her brother laughed.

"And me, too," Pidge said. 

"I'm glad you all could come for such a special occasion," Shiro bowed his head slightly.

"As if we'd miss our son's birthday," Lance's mom replied as she brought herself closer to her husband. "Even if the party wasn't going to be at the palace itself, we would have hosted at our place."

Lance blushed slightly. 

"Heh, yeah."

Keith grabbed Lance's hand. 

"Well, we're glad everyone could be here," Keith squeezed his jewel's hand. "Would it be alright if we stole him away for a bit?"

"Not at all," Lance's father said. "You've already stolen him before."

"Dad!"

"I'm kidding. Go. Be with your lovers."

Lance allowed himself to be whisked away by his kitten. There was a special table reserved for the hoard where plates and drinks were set. Allura pulled up his chair before taking her seat. He noticed that their table wasn't far from the gift table, which was piled with presents. There was also a carved ice lion that was set next to the table, Lance smiling at how it turned out.

 

"Is everything to your liking?" Shiro asked. 

"Of course!" Lance clasped his hands together. "It's all so lovely. Oh, and thank you, Allura, for giving me this crown!"

Allura smiled. "Anything for you, my Jewel."

"Once we're done eating, we can dance and then sing to you!" Hunk said. 

"Unless his niece and nephew take him from us," Pidge pointed out.

Lance chuckled. "I can't say no to them."

"And you shouldn't," Keith scooted his chair closer to Lance. "We know how much they mean to you. You're their favorite uncle and you don't get to see them a lot."

Lance shivered as he felt something touch his ankle. When he looked down, he saw that it was Shiro's tail wrapping itself around him. Lance looked up to see Shiro giving an approving smile. Lance leaned against Keith, kissing his cheek and then kissed Hunk who sat on his other side.

 

The night went on as Hunk predicted, with a dance and then a song for Lance. The cake was simpler, but still grand in size to feed everyone in attendance. After Lance had his cake, he played with his niece and nephew and even lent them the crown to share. He talked with his siblings about all that he missed out on back in their hometown and he listened to his grandma reminisce about his past birthdays. His hoard definitely listened in on that, laughing at the silly stories and commenting on how Lance hasn't really changed after all these years.

As the night drew on, many family members retreated to their sleeping quarters and servants began to clean up. 

Everything had gone accordingly, though there was one thing Lance had wanted to do. 

 

He retreated to the room he shared with his lovers and changed out of his formal wear. He put on a simple tunic and swimming trunks and opened the door to his beloveds waiting for him outside.

"Going for a swim?" Pidge asked.

Lance chuckled and scratched his back. "Y-yeah. I know you guys must be tired, so you don't have to come with."

"Of course we're going with you!"

"I think a swim would be a nice way to unwind from the party," Shiro began to change out of his suit and shifted into his full form. 

Everyone went inside their room and changed into either swim clothes or clothes that did not matter if they were wet. Before Lance could ask them further if they were really sure about joining him, Shiro picked him up and put him on his back and they all went to the swimming area of the castle.

 

The hoard enjoyed themselves in the pool, swimming and relaxing in the water.

"Happy Birthday, Lance," they told him before he swam closer to them.

Everything turned out even more perfect than Lance could have imagined.


End file.
